Where Do I Begin?
by Clez
Summary: Can Mr. Confident summon the courage he needs to ask what should be a simple question of his fellow intern, and follow it through without a hitch…?
1. Where Do I Begin?

**Author's Note:** This, like **Only Human** – if you've even read that, heh – was written for a **15minuteficlet** challenge community I belong to; the word for this week was, remarkably, _discombobulate_! O.O Tough word… anyway, this is named after the amazing Chemical Brothers song, which featured in _'An Intern's Guide To The Galaxy'_ XD Oh… and like with my main story, no spoilers beyond _'11.07: White Guy, Dark Hair'_ – I'm in England… damn… hopefully I'll add a new piece/chapter to this with every new word until I feel it's done :) Enjoy!

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**PART ONE: WHERE DO I BEGIN?**

Glancing almost stealthily around the corner, he ducked back into the supply cupboard, biting his lip for a moment. He suddenly wasn't sure about this whole plan of his; about two hours ago, when it hadn't been near the time for asking, it had seemed like a great idea. One of his better ones, in fact… but now, he just wasn't sure it would work, at all.

When he saw her go past, he cursed for nearly missing her, and slipped out – almost literally, annoyingly – to walk behind her. "Hey," he said casually, noticing she wasn't walking with any particular urgency. Either she had no patients, or she was taking her sweet time. He voted for the former, given that the latter wasn't her style.

"Hi," she replied after a moment or two, looking to him almost sceptically as he came up beside her properly. Her brown eyes narrowed partially, before she inquired, "What're you after?"

He opened his mouth in an offended manner, laughing quietly, saying, "Why have I always got to be after something when I come over and say 'hey'?" Frowning slightly, he added, "I'm a little offended…"

Rolling her eyes, Abby Lockhart sighed. "I didn't mean it that way; you just usually come to me for favours, if the nurses say no."

Ray Barnett stopped dead in his tracks for a moment, discombobulated, and furrowed his brow heavily; he didn't like the way that sounded. "No I don't," he said feebly, before giving chase, forced to jog in order to catch up; _now_ she wanted to speed things up. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"A favour?"

"_No_," he objected, realising afterwards that she was teasing him. His shoulders slumped slightly. Maybe this _was_ a bad idea…

"I'm sorry, Ray; what was it?"

Dodging around a 'parked' gurney, only just managing to avoid stubbing his toe in his sneaker, he said, "Would you stand still for five minutes, Lockhart? You're makin' it kinda hard to ask _anything_."

With that, she turned flat on her heel in the corridor, almost causing him to crash straight into her, biting off another curse in surprise. "Jeez…" He blinked. "That was fast."

She shrugged, waiting.

Ray looked at her, mind terrifyingly blank all of a sudden. What had he wanted to ask her again…?

"Well…?"

Her slow question pulled him out of his mild panic, and he gave his head a shake, his confident face slightly off-kilter it seemed.

_Perfect… and just when I need it most._

"I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me tomorrow night."

_Oh, smooth…_

Abby quirked a brow, either surprised or amused; whichever it was, he couldn't tell straight away, and swallowed dryly, his throat parched all of a sudden. He didn't like the wait; the wait was uncomfortable and awkward.

"… What for?"

"_What_?" He laughed. "What do you mean 'what for'?"

Abby blinked. "I mean… the last time you offered to buy me dinner, you'd acted like a jerk about one of your patients. Did you do it again without my noticing…?"

Ray's shoulders slumped again, and he almost slapped his palm to his face in defeat. But he wouldn't be dejected; he had to persist. That was the key. "No, this is different," he said to her plainly. "This is a genuine offer…"

"Sincere?" she asked teasingly, earning herself another frowning glare. "Sorry… carry on…"

"Well… genuine offer; no pressure. Just dinner." He let out a breath, nervous on the inside; he wasn't accustomed to feeling nervous, and he was pretty sure he didn't like it. It made him feel unsure of himself, and he was so used to feeling and acting confident that it threw him off balance.

"Maybe a movie?"

Ray blinked in surprise, looking down at Abby with slightly widened green eyes. "P-pardon?"

"I said, maybe a movie?" She shrugged. "Y'know, like, afterwards, or something."

A very slight smile turned up one corner of Ray's mouth, and he resisted the urge to chuckle. He nodded, but then became wary. "Really?"

Abby smiled in return, though a little more openly than her companion. "Sure. Why not? If you're not trying to win me over for doing something wrong, then…"

He laughed quietly that time, nodding. "All right. Cool."

**_Cool_**_? Ugh… moron._

She laughed as well, subtle but certain. "Okay. Let me know when and where." With that, she turned on her heel with another nod to him, and carried on her way, looking down at a chart she had been holding in her hand all along.

Ray stood in the middle of the corridor for a while, nonchalant and casual, before a stupid grin broke out on his face, and he did chuckle. Nodding to himself, he turned to head back in the other direction, ignoring the gurney he'd nearly fallen over in the first place, as he muttered to himself, "… Cool."

**_To Be Continued_**


	2. Comin' Up From Behind

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took me so long; went on vacation, and then got swamped with other stories. The word for this was 'contagious'.

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**PART TWO – COMIN' UP FROM BEHIND**

The next day saw Ray leaning over a patient's bed, shining a light in their eyes, before he pocketed the tool and pulled his stethoscope from around his neck. Listening to the heartbeat for a few moments, he nodded, before hooking it around his neck again, grabbing up the chart once more, as he tried to get his pen to work. "Okay; it's pretty much just the flu," he told the patient; a young woman who'd been staring at his ass anytime he turned away, he was sure of it. He was pretty _damn_ sure she'd tried to grab it at one point as well… so for now, he was keeping his back clear of her hands… not to mention his ass.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should check again…"

Inwardly rolling his eyes, he offered her a smile. "Miss Grady, it's just the flu."

"Call my Alyssa…"

"Alyssa… it's just the flu. The nurse will get you a prescription, okay?" With that, he beat a rather hasty retreat, not turning his back on her until he walked backwards out of her hands' reach. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he passed on the necessary information to Chuny Marquez at the desk, and crossed his hands on it… before thudding his head down on top of them. "Guh…"

He heard a soft laugh in front of him, and then a female voice say, "I thought you _liked _that kind of attention."

"Gah!" He shot upright when he realised it was Abby, and nearly fell backwards, gathering himself and steadying before he fell flat on his rear end. "Don't do that to me," he told her nervously, throwing her a wary look. She raised her brows, and laughed again, clearly amused by his flustered state.

"So, you gonna get back to me about tonight, or what?" she finally asked, and he stared at her for a moment, before literally slapping his palm to his face. Cursing inside afterwards, he quickly covered the move by rubbing his face, and saying, "Sorry, got wrapped up with patients." He smiled sheepishly, and sat down on the available chair next to him.

"I was thinking we could go to 'Luigi's'," he told her, as if he had had a plan the whole time… which he kinda had. He had been trying to think of somewhere since yesterday; when she had agreed to the date. He supposed part of him had never realised she could say yes to it at all, and as such, he hadn't planned this far in advance.

"I didn't know you liked pasta," Abby ventured, narrowing her eyes slightly as she cocked her head inquisitively.

"Oh, they do pizza too, don't forget," Ray quipped, smirking triumphantly.

"Ah, of course; how silly of me."

Ray quickly decided he liked this witty exchange, but they had work to do… unfortunately. The board was filled with pointless patients, but Lewis would kill them both if they didn't get moving. "So… seven-thirty?"

"Well, that doesn't give me much time to get ready, does it?" she teased, her tone half-serious, and for a moment, he almost bought it. He made to apologise, before he threw her a mock glare.

"Eight, then?" he offered instead, to which she nodded. Her hair bobbed in its ponytail with the motion, and he smiled, standing from the stool.

_Don't say cool…_

"Okay. I'll see you at eight." He made to walk off, to another patient, even as Abby called after him.

"Um… Ray?" He looked back to her. "Where?"

_Is stupidity contagious or something? Have you been standing too close to Morris again?_ Nearly slapping himself in the face again, he threw her a grin, saying, "Well, 'Luigi's', of course." Chuckling to himself for the – he thought – good cover, he turned away, and walked across the admin area, letting out a deep breath of relief.

_Well… that didn't go **too** badly… you're only a little bit of an idiot… well, more than you were before, anyway_.

Promptly telling his brain to shut up, he busied himself with examining the new patient, inwardly groaning when he realised this one was right next to Alyssa Grady.

_Kill me now… only six hours to go…_

**_To Be Continued_**


	3. You've Got Me

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long. The word for this bit was **_'undeniable'_**, and it's actually late for the community as well… aheh… moving on.

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**PART THREE: YOU'VE GOT ME**

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Leaning against the wall outside 'Luigi's', he couldn't help but feel apprehensive. After all, other dates in the past hadn't been so much _dates_ as… well, one night stands. And with one or two, that was being generous. Ray knew he should just get it together and stand tall and straight, wait calmly for her to get here. But he couldn't do that… shamefully, he had butterflies in his stomach, no matter how hard he tried to quell them.

_Stupid nerves.__ C'mon, this is **Abby**… get a grip._

Trying his best to listen to his chiding thoughts, he looked around, and then down at his watch, pulling his hand from his pocket. It was chilly tonight, so, for a change, he'd put on a jacket. It was getting close to the time when they'd agreed to meet here, and he actually felt _worse_ now. Furrowing his brow more in annoyance at himself than anything else, he stared down at his feet. He hadn't gone overboard with his clothing, and as such, was a cross between smart and casual; a happy medium… or so he hoped. He supposed he'd find out when Abby got there. He just hoped she hadn't got too dressed up…

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't even hear the cab pull up just down the street, and the subsequent opening and closing of the door. Why he looked up, he supposed he'd never know, but when he did, he froze, and not because of the weather. His eyes found her walking away from the cab towards him, and, to be frank… he was a little thrown. He'd found her attractive enough in what she wore for work… now? Well, to say he was taken aback would have been an understatement.

She smiled at him, no doubt in amusement at his expression, and greeted him with a calm, "Hey."

"Hey," he managed after a few moments of collecting himself, and pushed away from the wall, looking down at her.

"I expected you to be late," she teased; that much was clear from the light in her eyes and the way she smiled.

"Very funny," he remarked, laughing softly. "Wanna go in? It's kinda cold out here."

"Big baby…"

Letting her go in first, he narrowed his eyes. She was more playful tonight than he would have expected… not that that was a bad thing, of course. He found it intriguing, not to mention amusing. He followed her in the door, where a waiter offered to take their coats when they got to their table. Ray gave his over first, the heat in the restaurant much more comfortable when simply in his jeans and grey button-shirt. He found himself watching Abby as she took off her jacket, and all but fell over his chair.

_Okay, you're having a bad day… geek…_

Straightening himself, he nodded his thanks to the waiter, who sat Abby in her seat, even as Ray sat himself down as well. Abby was wearing black pants with heeled boots – he _knew_ she'd looked taller – and an elegant but not over-the-top white blouse with fine patterning on it. Summoning his voice as they sat there, he said to her quietly, "You look great." It was undeniable, and so, he'd gone for the old 'honesty is the best policy' tactic, hoping it would pay off.

Abby looked at Ray as if startled, and then laughed quietly, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Thank you." In a somewhat cliché manner he certainly hadn't expected, she came back with, "You don't look so shabby yourself."

_Wait for it…_

"For a change."

He couldn't stop the smile that came over his face, elbows on the table casually, with one hand scratching at the back of his head as he laughed gently. "I knew you were going to say that," he told her honestly.

"Am I that predictable?" she asked lightly, and he looked her in the eye across the table, even as the waiter brought their menus over. He prattled off a list of specials for them – with Ray wondering how they were supposed to remember all the ridiculously-named dishes – and then left them to browse and decide.

Abby looked deeply thoughtful and scanned her eyes almost critically over everything on the menu. Ray found himself watching her for a time, before he blurted, "Please don't tell me you're on a diet."

_… You did **not** just say that…_

Abby laughed, and looked to him. A very light flush came over her cheeks, he noticed, and she shook her head. "Not at the moment. Why?"

"I… I didn't mean that how it sounded." Ray pulled a face. "Sorry." Clearing his throat, he added, "I only meant that you didn't need it… I mean… well, so many… I'm going to shut up now." All but burying himself under the large menu, he groaned to himself.

_Did you take some funky medication without my knowledge? You **idiot**_…

But as he ducked there, he heard Abby's chuckle, and was pleasantly surprised to find there was no mocking there.

If nothing else, that comforted him enough so he could lift his head and browse his menu again.

_Okay… take it easy. The night is young, and you haven't even eaten yet. If you can go another half an hour without making an idiot of yourself, you should be fine…_

**_To Be Continued_**


	4. I'm On My Way

**Author's Note:** A new word, ergo, a new part. The word for this part was '**_gourmet_**', which worked perfectly XD Ahem… thanks for the reviews so far.

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**PART FOUR: I'M ON MY WAY**

Ray thanked the waiter as he took the plates away, looking to Abby briefly afterwards as she put her used napkin on the table, from where it had rested on her lap while they'd eaten. She smiled at him, and he returned it, before calmly finishing the rest of his drink. Now that dinner was out of the way, he felt a little more at ease, but there was still that little knot in his stomach. It was either nerves, or the pizza retaliating… both were likely possibilities, though he really hoped it was the latter all of a sudden.

"Not bad," Abby commented idly, and Ray looked to her a little too quickly, perhaps wondering what she was talking about, even as he managed to save his glass from taking a nosedive down to the floor, where it would have no doubt smashed spectacularly.

"Pardon?"

"The food," she laughed, and Ray almost slapped himself in the face for being so stupid; of _course_ she had meant the food. She wasn't _rating_ him… was she?

_Oh, I hope not._

"Oh, yeah," he chuckled. "Not exactly gourmet, but it's pretty decent." He almost cringed when he saw the waiter beside him, and offered a small grin to the man, who put down the bill for them. Again, he almost smacked himself… or let his head plummet to the table.

_Tactful…_

Pretending nothing had happened; Ray paid for the meal, and looked to Abby as the waiter took the money away.

"You should have let me pay for half," she said to him, furrowing her brow almost in confusion, but not darkly. She seemed almost pleased or amused by something all of a sudden, and her companion was somewhat nervous to find out which, and why.

"It's fine. I said I was taking you out to dinner, so…" He shrugged lightly, not sure what else to say on the matter.

_Short, swift and to the point. Classic Barnett._

Ray frowned.

_Dammit… I don't **want** 'classic Barnett' tonight._

"Something wrong?"

Ray quickly destroyed the frown, and smiled as he looked at her. "Nope. I'm fine."

Abby nodded. "Okay." Moving her napkin further across the table so it didn't get in her way, she looked him in the eye across the short distance. "So… a movie?"

_How is it that she can make this sound so formal?_

"Sure… a movie's good."

_I did not just say that…_

Abby laughed quietly; that light, almost sweet sound that made him smile. He didn't hear it enough at work, so he was determined to get a healthy dose of it during tonight's…

_Yes, this **is** a date, dammit, whether you like it or not… and whether **she** likes it or not. Even if she doesn't know it. Okay… if she doesn't know it, this is stupid._

"So, what do you wanna see?"

_Please don't say a chick-flick… wait… shut up; see whatever she wants. Trust me._

Ray quickly decided his brain was doing way too much talking; a heck of a lot more than his mouth, actually, and more eloquently. He also decided he should stop that; switch it around, perhaps. He was being a little too quiet and bumbling for his liking, but Abby hadn't rolled her eyes yet… so maybe it was a good thing he wasn't acting like his normal self at all.

"Well, how about we head over to the theatre, and see what's on? We can decide when we get there." Her tone was suggestive and soft, and he liked that. It was an offer… he definitely liked how this was going so far.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed confidently, but not overly so. Standing, he waited for Abby to follow, a little unsure about pulling her chair out for her, hence why he hadn't done it. She didn't seem aggravated by this fact, at least, so he didn't let it bother him. It had seemed a little too forward a gesture, and he didn't want to give her the wrong idea. As they moved for the door, one of the staff thanked them for coming, even as Ray donned his jacket again, only helping Abby with hers when she couldn't find her second sleeve. As he slipped it on for her, their eyes met over her shoulder, and after a moment, she smiled.

"… Thanks."

"Welcome…"

Abby was the first to go out of the door, and as she did, Ray let out a slow breath. Giving his head a brief shake, he followed.

For a moment there, he thought he had seen something in her eyes…

**_To Be Continued_**


	5. Ramble On

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took me a while. Thanks to all the reviewers/readers! This piece was inspired by the word **_'searching'_**.

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**RAMBLE ON**

Walking down the street next to her, Ray couldn't help but think about that brief eye-contact they'd had back in the restaurant, as cryptic as her side of it had been. Was there really anything to be read from it, or was Ray searching for something that wasn't there? He couldn't help but wonder…

"Ray?"

He looked to her suddenly, head lifting from its downward pensive position where it had dropped somewhat. "Hmm?"

"You okay? You seem a bit… I don't know; distracted maybe."

Ray chuckled at her furrowing of the brow, as if she were concerned. "No, I'm fine. It's just… cold. Are you warm enough?" He inwardly froze after saying that, wondering if she'd spot just how stupid he felt for saying that. It had to be written all over his face, surely.

_Well this is going splendidly…_

The inner sarcasm was far from appreciated, so he just did his best to ignore it.

"Oh, I'm okay, thank you." Her smile was soft, and warmed Ray somewhat. He returned it with one of his own; crooked but heartfelt. His hands were shoved in his pockets, as if reaching for something that wasn't there, and they continued on their casual walk to the movie theatre.

_Maybe we should've gotten a cab_, he thought to himself, suddenly having lost track of where they were. He'd lost his concentration on top of that, and felt a little foolish. The night certainly was turning out differently than he'd planned… not that he'd planned much beyond 'ask Abby out to dinner'. Maybe he should have. He'd remember that next time.

_If there **is** a next time, you mean._

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked him, angling her head so she could look him in the face, one of her neat brows quirking inquisitively.

Ray met her gaze, losing himself there for just a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'm fine." He smiled once more, kicking himself inside for making her ask it again, however he'd managed it. The sooner they got to the theatre, the better, he supposed. At least inside the theatre, it would be dark, and he could think without her seeing all his – obviously troubling – facial expressions. Sighing lightly, he watched the cool Chicago air claim it in a puffy cloud, and noticed Abby was staring at him again. "That's a little unnerving," he chuckled, looking down at her.

"It is?" she inquired cheekily. "I thought you liked being watched."

Ray laughed. "You're not gonna start that again, are you?"

"Start _what_ again?" she asked innocently… a false innocence, he knew. She was mischievous; he could see it like a sparkle in her eyes… and he liked it.

"Don't play dumb," he teased. Before he knew what he was doing, he'd added, "It doesn't suit you."

Abby quirked a brow again, clearly thrown or intrigued by his comment, and Ray cleared his throat, looking away from her to see the theatre just down the street. There were people emerging from the entrance, showing that a movie had just kicked out. He had no clue what was showing, but he supposed they'd find out soon enough. They continued their walk, silent now that their little banter had been cut short, and by the time they reached the building to look at the options, Ray found himself closer to Abby than he'd intended. He contemplated shifting away subtly to give her some more space, and then realised she either hadn't noticed, or wasn't bothered by the proximity. He was comforted by that, and so, made no move to change it.

"So," he began casually, hunching his shoulders under his jacket a little out of restlessness, "what do you wanna see?"

"Did I ever mention I'm terrible when it comes to choices like this?" Abby quipped, gazing to him for a few moments, making him laugh quietly again.

"That makes two of us," he lied. There were a few different movies on, of varying genres, from the downright cuddly to the utterly violent. Of course, Ray didn't want to influence her… but there were a couple he'd prefer.

"Got a coin?" Abby asked, looking to him as she turned her body to face his. It was Ray's turn to quirk a brow. She nodded for emphasis, and he retrieved a single coin from his pants' pocket, handing it to her. "Okay," Abby began anew, "pick two movies."

"Um…" Her question had thrown him a little, but at random, he looked to the board and found himself saying, "'Constantine' and 'Sin City'."

_Crap, bad choices. One genre, dammit; you picked **one** genre. Stupid…_

Abby nodded. "Okay. Heads for the first one; tails for the other." With that, she flipped the coin, and Ray stepped back, watching her catch it and put it down on the back of her hand. She looked to him almost playfully for a moment, and then revealed the coin's face. "Heads it is," she said in clarification as the coin caught the light. "What're we seeing again?"

Ray nodded to a movie poster beside her.

"Didn't he play Neo?"

Ray laughed. "Yeah he did." Well, at least she knew _something_ about the movie. It was a start.

The two of them headed for the ticket booth, Ray still smiling discreetly.

**_To Be Continued_**


	6. Dare You To Move

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the wait. All the muses went on holiday… they didn't even send me a postcard… how rude O.o

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**PART SIX: DARE YOU TO MOVE**

As they walked out of the theatre, Ray put his hands in his jacket pockets, analysing the movie in his mind without really realising what he was doing. Part of his mind was – obviously – on his company though, and he found his eyes wandering to take in her form as she walked beside him, clearly pensive as well… either that or she was suffering from a headache. Either was possible, he supposed, but he found himself hoping for the former, of course. He didn't want to end the night prematurely because she wasn't feeling well.

"You all right?" he asked when she didn't speak for a while, and her eyes met his at once, as a smile lit up her face. God, he was falling in love with that _smile_, if nothing else…

"I'm fine," she replied rather cheerily. "Why? Don't I look it?"

"Well… you looked like you had something on your mind," he told her as he smiled as well, laughing to himself more than anything. Worrying for nothing, it seemed…

"Oh, I was just thinking about the movie. Best I don't think about it _too_ much though; something tells me that would be a bad idea."

Ray nodded with a laugh. "What did you think?" he found himself asking, curious as to her opinion. He wouldn't share his own unless prompted… he didn't want to bore her.

"It was… different. Certainly a change of pace anyway. The last movie I watched was 'Bridget Jones'." She cleared her throat after this revelation, even as Ray stifled a laugh. "Neela chose it, not me," she offered in swift addition.

"Right," he muttered, not convinced. He'd already decided not to tease though. "To each their own, I guess."

"And what about you?" she suddenly asked, nudging him with her elbow playfully, making his spine tingle uncontrollably. Trying to shake it off, he took a moment to seem pensive.

"I'm not sure… it seemed like it was missing something," he responded after a while.

Abby quirked a brow, either intrigued or confused. Her expression said it all. She was waiting for a continuation.

"Well, a lead actor who can express something other than irritation, for a start," Ray joked, drawing a laugh from his companion, much to his satisfaction. The sound of her laugh warmed him inside, and his smile remained. "But other than that… it was cool, to put it simply."

"Do I dare ask for a further opinion?"

Ray eyed her sidelong. "No, you don't."

Abby laughed again, a crystal sound that cut through the chill of the evening, and Ray's smile grew a little more. If it was the last thing he did, he would hear that again, and as free as it sounded just at that moment… a perfect sound.

"So," Abby began when she'd calmed herself, brushing a stray tress of her hair from her cheek, "what now?"

"Well…" Ray consulted his wristwatch. "It's a little after ten. What time's your next shift?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Ooh, lucky," he joked, seeing her apologetic expression before he laughed. "I'm kidding; mine too."

They were silent for a few moments as the atmosphere between them settled comfortably. Ray was enjoying himself, even in the quiet.

"So… you didn't answer my question." Abby nudged him again, and it took all of Ray's self control not to shudder again, even as he met her gaze, having to look down slightly to make eye-contact.

"Well, what would _you_ like to do?" he returned, cocking his head. At her puzzled expression, he explained, "I'm being polite… letting the lady decide."

"Oh, I see," she laughed quietly. "Well, in that case… give me a few minutes. Remember I'm not great at spur of the moment decisions."

"Maybe ER doctor is a bad idea then," he teased with feigned seriousness, pulling a face that was somewhere between shocked and disappointed. He received a light smack on the arm for his trouble… not that he complained.

"That's different. Be quiet so I can think."

Ray smirked, but kept to himself for a time so she could do as she promised. Walking along the street, they passed other couples and group, all of whom kept to themselves. Ray let his eyes follow them subtly, not meaning to be intrusive; he didn't want to offend anyone.

"How about a coffee or something?"

He turned his head to Abby quickly, seeing her looking at him, and after a moment, he smiled and nodded. "Coffee's good. Where to?"

"I was hoping to have your help on that bit… where's good around here?"

"Well…" Ray furrowed his brow pensively as he considered options. "There's a place a block from here that's open late and does a decent coffee." He saw her nod, and then, cautiously, added slowly, "Or…"

Abby waited, and when her patience wore out, asked, "Or?"

"Or I have coffee at my place."

**_To Be Continued_**


	7. Like You Mean It

**Author's Note:** I kept you waiting, didn't I? You all know what I'm about to say, but here it is anyway – I'm sorry.

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**PART SEVEN: LIKE YOU MEAN IT**

With Abby looking up at him as she – he hoped – thought over his offer, he felt a kind of anxiety settle within him, and twist his stomach. He quickly decided he didn't like that feeling very much, and wished she would just answer him, and soon.

"Okay then."

Ray froze for a moment as she answered, and actually said, "What?" as if confused.

"Coffee," she responded. "Your place." She smiled, a faint but genuine expression.

Ray smiled as well, relieved by her response, and he actually let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in since he had offered the alternative. "Okay then," he said as well, nodding, the expression on his face still of relief – if only subtle, or so he hoped – and contentment. "This way then." With that, he began to lead the way to his apartment. It wouldn't be that long a walk, and it would give him time to calm down. He suddenly found himself trying to remember if the apartment was suitable for a visitor… especially an Abby-shaped visitor.

And then he recalled Neela whining about a mess, and making him clean it up, so, he took comfort in that. Maybe having a pedantic, pushy roommate wasn't all that bad sometimes. He chuckled to himself, a noise that Abby either did not hear, or ignored altogether, because she did not react or look to him inquiringly.

"So how's it going?" Abby asked after a while of walking in comfortable silence. Well, Ray found it comfortable anyway. "Living with Neela," she clarified when he didn't respond straight away.

"It's not _too_ bad," he responded honestly, trusting her not to rat him out to the person in question. "It has its moments, like anything, but sometimes… she…" He hesitated, not sure of the best way to describe what it was he truly felt about the situation and his living arrangement.

"She can be a pain in the ass?" Abby offered, and Ray laughed, looking to her as if searching for any kind of trap. He found none, and so, nodded.

"That's the one." He smiled at her, and she returned it. Ray noticed at that moment that the distance between them had closed, and the subject of the discussion – as short-lived as it had been – left his mind entirely. Neela and the apartment's condition were forgotten, and he focused on her for a while, and her alone. It was a pleasant sensation, he decided, and one he rather liked having fill him.

_Focus… or you'll end up in the river._

His thought woke him from his reverie, and he concentrated on their route once again, noticing they had managed to cover quite some distance during their brief discussion regarding his roommate. As they turned a corner, he saw his building up ahead, and Abby did too apparently.

"No wonder you can hitch a ride to work. You don't live that far away."

He looked to her, and blinked questioningly.

"The skateboard."

"Oh…" He laughed nervously, remembering the few times he had used that – rather juvenile – method to get to work on time. "Hey, it works in the movies," he offered with a smirk, and she laughed quietly; his reward. "And apparently in real life too."

_Dork._

Ignoring the odd fact that his own mind was making fun of him, he saw her smile, and nod. "Well, it's certainly different. Can't say I've ever seen anyone else try it that way."

"Oh, you should give it a shot," he teased. "You can borrow my skateboard if you like."

She laughed again, and contentment washed through Ray again, even as he looked up to the windows of the apartment where he lived. Everything was dark. Neela was at work… thankfully. The last thing he wanted was for him to bring Abby over and have the two of them descend into 'girl-talk' while he made coffee or something like that.

"I'm sure I'd fall on my ass, thank you," Abby responded, trying not to laugh again, even as he let them in. "But I've never been one to back down from a challenge," she added, perhaps jokingly, and Ray looked to her sceptically, seeing in her eyes that she probably would never set foot anywhere near his skateboard… let alone hang off the back of an ambulance. Butterflies chose that moment to start up inside of him, and he tried to swallow them down; quash the feeling. He closed the door behind them, and led the way up the stairs, every moment bringing them closer to the apartment.

_And coffee_, his brain reminded, almost drawing a laugh out of him for the timing. He quelled it, and pulled his key out of his pants' pocket, with Abby standing beside him. Pausing for only a moment, so as not to arouse suspicion, he turned the key, and opened the door.

**_To Be Continued_**


	8. Wondering

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay in the continuation of this, but here we go. At last. The prompt was **'wondering'**.

* * *

**PART EIGHT: WONDERING**

His biggest fear as he'd pushed the door open had been as to whether or not he'd promised one of his band-mates that they could sleep over, but as he stepped in and turned on the light, he was filled with relief. The apartment was indeed empty. There was no one here, and therefore, nothing to worry about. Apart from making an idiot of himself somehow. He seemed to be especially good at that tonight.

What had happened to the confident Ray? Had someone replaced him without his knowledge? If they had, he'd kick their ass.

"Everything okay?" Abby asked from behind him, and he looked to her, realising he hadn't moved out of the way, and she was still rather… in the doorway itself.

"Oh, no. Everything's fine. Sorry." He moved aside, and then closed the door behind her as she entered. He shrugged off his jacket, and offered to take hers, putting them both aside when she handed it to him. "So how do you take your coffee?"

"Milk and two sugars."

"Okay." Ray nodded, and headed across the room, saying as he did so, "Make yourself at home."

As he set about with mugs and coffee, filling this and pouring that, he heard a noise over his shoulder, and turned his head. Abby was sitting on the sofa, apparently having had to move his acoustic guitar.

_Oops. Probably should put those away…_

"Sorry," he called across the room. "Was it in the way?"

"Well, unless it's an elaborate cushion…" Abby quipped slowly, and he laughed, wondering if he'd made her coffee right, given that he couldn't even remember making it fully, as he apparently had, because he now had two full mugs in front of him. And then he realised he couldn't remember which one was which.

_Crap_. He pulled a face, and then took them both over to the couch. "Okay, you'll have to tell me if that's right. I can't… um, remember whose is whose." He offered a smile, feeling rather foolish for not paying attention. He _knew_ he'd put milk in both at least, given the colour.

Abby sampled the coffee, pondered the taste for a moment, and then said, "Nope, we're good. I've got sugar." She gave a cheeky smile, and he laughed again, nodding.

"Good," he muttered in amusement, trying his own. Other than being very — understandably — hot, it was how he normally took it. So if nothing else, he could make coffee without really paying attention… now if he could get through the rest of the evening without screwing up, then he'd be just fine.

"It's not bad," Abby was saying, her eyes wandering, and Ray looked to her, and then tried to follow her meaning. "The apartment," she revealed after realising he had lost track… again.

_Okay. Rule number one: pay attention._

"Thanks. Neela's room is that one over there, and mine's round the back." He nodded his head for indication, and then tried to explain to himself why he had given directions.

_Wrong idea, much? Dumbass. Why didn't you just say 'let's go somewhere more comfortable' and get it over with. Jeez._

Clearing his throat, he took comfort in her smile and nod. He figured if she'd been offended, she would have voiced it. After all, Abby wasn't the type to keep her being insulted to herself… especially where he was concerned.

And that was speaking from personal experience. Not that he'd ever meant to insult her…

He was just…

_Stupid?_

He quickly decided that wanting his own brain to shut up was the weirdest thing he'd ever known…

"So what time does Neela get home?" Abby asked, drawing Ray's attention to her once again, and thankfully, given he'd almost started trying to devise ways to turn off the volume of his own thoughts, not that something like that was possible… was it?

"Um… she's working nights for a while, so… not 'til about seven." He nodded his head, as if that would help the explanation, setting his coffee on the table in front of them. Abby nodded as well, making him curious as to why she had asked. There was only one way to find out. "Why?"

"Well," Abby began, setting her hands on her knees. She went quiet for a while, and her brows knitted, as if she were giving the answer some serious thought. "I'm… I just wondered."

Ray watched her… finding himself, for some reason, not entirely convinced.

**_To Be Continued…_**


End file.
